In the chloride process for preparing TiO.sub.2, ore is chlorinated in a fluid bed reactor at about 1000.degree.-1200.degree. C. Chlorine gas enters the bottom of the reactor through what are known as "jet pipes." The chlorine is ordinarily fed in as a recycle stream which carries particulate material. These particulates plug the jet pipes after a time.
To maintain a proper flow of chlorine into the reactor, these pipes must be cleaned periodically. This is ordinarily done manually with a rod and a hammer, a job which is not only physically demanding but also dangerous because of the risk of hot reactor contents being discharged through the pipe as it becomes unplugged.
There is, accordingly, a real need for a device which can clean the jet pipes effectively and automatically, with a minimum of human intervention. This need is filled by the device of the invention.